You've reached your goal weight - come chat about maintenance, not regaining, going cold turkey or titrating down

[MargoLivebetter]

Would people who've hit their target weight be interested in a general thread on how they are getting on? You might be titrating your WLI down, you might be going cold turkey, you might be on a maintenance programme or you might have gone back on.

I used MJ for 5 months and I've hit my goal and I'm muddling through with my own version of "maintenance". I'm doing a 1.25 dose weekly to use up what I've got left and cut down gradually, so I don't lose all the benefits of MJ immediately. I was a complete lightweight and did the whole 5 months on just 2.5, as I had savage suppression and loss of appetite. So, I'm just halving my dosage.

I'd be interested to hear how others are getting on, given it all feels a bit new and the long-term aspects of weight maintenance are not yet much talked about.

I can’t really afford it now @beguilingeyes!! But definitely life changing witchcraft.

Well done @Cantbesure!

Im still not gaining but getting flabbier by the day as still have the world longest big/flu into chest infection into exhaustion and a cold so can’t exercise without coughing my guts up and being totally exhausted.

Thanks @ShaunaSadeki sorry to hear about your cold/flu. Have you seen a dr?

Yes twice now, had antibiotics which did nothing, I’ve had a chest X-ray, awaiting results, got blood tests booked for the week after next, but I assume I will be fine by then, I have been poorly since Easter 😢. BUT I am still maintaining my weight, which is a real first, usually when something throws me out of exercise routine, I just comfort eat and pile it all back on, so I am very happy in that respect. I just want to get back to my routine as I was really happy with my progress.

Oh no @ShaunaSadeki that sounds miserable. You must be totally fed up with it. Huge well done on maintaining your weight whilst being ill. I’ve always comfort ate my way through illness.

Goodness @ShaunaSadeki that lurgy is really lingering. I hope you feel better soon.

I would love to read these but I’ve been getting an error message saying ‘This site can’t provide a secure connection’ anytime I try to access the site and I’ve deleted cookies, etc. not sure why but it’s nice to see that lots are maintaining off the jab as well

Hello everyone I've read every message on this thread over the last 4 days or so. Congrats to all who have got to maintenance and to all your hard work.
I'm bmi 26 now 5ft 3" 10st 8lbs, started bmi 32.4 in october 13st 1lbs. I'm with oushk, just taken bonus dose of 12.5mg pen which was similar to 15mg. I have a 15mg pen in fridge to start taking on Monday.
I've had to go high on doses due to them wearing off quickly, I thought this was due to insulin resistance but 2 weeks ago found out I'm prediabetic and have been for at least 2 years. My previous GP never mentioned my HBA1C result of 45 in Sept 2023 which the GP tested for following a frozen shoulder. The year before I had my nhs health check after hitting 40 and basically told me everything is fine except my haemoglobin is low and to take some iron. They didn't test my blood sugar then. I've also had high blood pressure for over 5 years non treated, reached 145/92. I also found out that a number of tests were abnormal on my nhs health check including a liver test alanine aminotransferase is too high and hyperchromic cells is 12.5%, should be below 5%, plasma glucose is top of the range 5.8mmol.
Hoping to get to 10st, have my maintenance call in just over 2 weeks with oushk. The worry is being prediabetic and insulin resistance that my blood sugars are unstable again after tapering down, it was on 10mg that my symptoms were resolved and now I can finally live without feeling dizzy, faint, passing out or having serious mood swings if i dont snack or eat regularly.
Is there anyone in the same boat with their experience?
I'm guessing I'll have to stay on a reasonable dose like 10mg for a while but it's sucked the joy out of me and I don't want to go out or do anything and feel wiped out all the time. I think I'm definitely being affected by the dopamine disruption but I've kept going as I've lost 2.5st and my health was at risk, I have diabetes and heart disease in immediate family too, my ethnicity means normal bmi is 23 for me but I've had really slow losses of 1lb a week even with strict 1200 calories, usually 850-1100 and eating more protein. Any advice?

I think I had/have insulin resistance and also reactive hypoglycemia, none of it diagnosed. I definitely didn't have pre-diabetes which I was surprised about. I have felt great on mounjaro and have lost weight easily, hence I feel like I had insulin resistance. My reactive hypoglycemia is non-existent, although that could also be just eating better. I definitely don't eat as many carbs so I have less sugar highs and lows.
My intention is to stay on mj for a while. I briefly went down to 2.5 when I was a couple of pounds away from goal but I found my weight stayed the same so I went back up to 5 to lose the last bit. I took a golden dose of 3.16 last week and that felt really good and I took 2.5 yesterday. I'm on holiday so haven't been able to weigh. My thoughts are that I will get to my target or just below and then slowly try and come down the doses. So depending on what I weigh when I get home I will jab 5 until I get to where I want and then I might do 40 clicks of a 5 and see how that feels and slowly see if I can get to 2.5. If that works I might try lower, but I suspect I will need to stay close to 5 for the inflammation benefits (I am guessing inflammation coming back was what caused the weight gain / stabilisation a couple of jabs ago.
I met someone who mj has done wonders for their type 1-like diabetes so you might find you need to stay on a high dose until your blood sugar is stabilised and once that starts to come down you might be able to come down. Or perhaps jabbing 10 but leaving a longer gap? For me I like jabbing weekly, it works for me so I'm keen to reduce dose that way.

Hi all, I'm wondering if any of you can advise me. I've been on Mounjaro since November last year - gone from 197 lbs down to 147 lbs, which is my goal weight. I'm on 7.5mg. I need to work out what to do next. I had COVID a couple of weeks ago and since then my appetite is gone. I'm really struggling to eat anything much, and though I'm not testing positive for COVID any more I'm feeling really tired and a bit crap. I think I'm just not eating enough, and that's why I'm so tired. I'm thinking of ordering another pen in a lower dose - 5mg, and staying on that for a month or so, hoping my appetite will come back. Has anyone else struggled with problematic low appetite once they've reached goal weight? I really don't want to lose any more weight.

@Histoscientist I don’t have any specific advice but am similar to you. I suspect I was prediabetic prior to starting MJ last year as even after a year my blood sugars are unstable and go up just prior to injection and come down again after injection, always on the high side of normal after injection and above normal before injection. I also had symptoms of peripheral neuropathy prior to MJ which it has helped. I’m requesting a copy of my gp notes and won’t be surprised at all if my past blood results show that I was prediabetic prior to MJ and they didn’t tell me. I think it’s shocking how many people I have saw on groups or forums who weren’t told. Like surely gps have an obligation to keep people informed and advise on how they can prevent diabetes or even prescribe medication to help. Why wait until someone has full blown diabetes? I really don’t understand. I also know that I have metabolic syndrome - self diagnosed from getting private blood tests - again I won’t be surprised if this was evident in past blood results. I’ve been a slow loser losing 47 lb in just over a year but I honestly feel better on this than I have in years and am staying on it indefinitely

Edit to say I am on 7.5mg. Tried to go down to 5 for maintenance but blood sugars went even higher so looks like I’ll need to maintain at higher dose for this reason

Welcome @Sabire9 sorry to hear that you have been unwell. I think you can feel wiped out post-virus for quite a while sometimes. Well done on all the weight loss - that is great news. I'm wondering if you have no appetite and don't want to eat at all, if it might not be a good idea to cut the MJ right back for now. Is there any reason you wouldn't do that?

Welcome @Histoscientist too. Congrats on your weight loss. I really sympathise on all the health matters that were never brought to your attention by your GP. I had similar for years, although slightly different issues to you. Well done for pushing on through and sorting yourself out - it is a shame that we kind of have to be our own GPs to some extent these days. I hope you can find a level of MJ that helps keep your blood sugars where they should be and doesn't wipe out the joy too. I struggled with the flat, joy-loss feeling too.

@Angie7654 thank you for your reply. Yes I'm shocked as someone else on mounjaro had a HBA1C of 42 and she gets monitored with 6 monthly blood tests and she was bottom end of prediabetes. It just shows how neglectful some GPs are, if I'd been told years ago I could have started on healthy eating and exercise years ago. My glucose was high too so that's a worry as I don't actually have much sugar in my diet and haven't for decades but I am a carb addict so that will be why.
Interesting you say about peripheral neuropathy, I've had hand tremors for many years now, it's only when I'm holding something like a spoon to measure something out, it must be linked.
If you sign up to the nhs app or the GPs system then you will be able to access all your records digitally anytime. That's how I got mine.
I hope you find the answers you need and well done on the massive loss! I'm also a slow loser 1lb a week but that's better for muscle and skin.

@tinyemmy I definitely have reactive hypoglycaemia, I have the symptoms. Yes I'll probably stay on 10mg but I don't know about 10 days, seems a long time and maybe something I'll do in the future to come off completely. Just hoping I can reverse the pre diabetes and insulin resistance and manage on lower carbs and exercise. Only time will tell!

@MargoLivebetter are you still on mounjaro now? Did you find the lack of joy and feeling flat reduced on lower doses?
I took 15mg on Tuesday and I feel even worse. I have a week off work and spending it mainly inside, ive been out once shopping and visited family. Hoping to paint my kitchen today so at least move rather than couch surf. I did do something useful yesterday and got my sewing machine out and tightened a few of my clothes that I want to keep that were too big after dropping 2.5 stones but I'm not bothered about socialising at all and i live alone which makes it worse. It has been crap weather mind.

@Histoscientist I never got beyond 2.5 dose, as the appetite suppression was so savage on that alone, that I stuck with it for 5 months. I then cut down to 1.25 for two months and then went cold turkey. The flat, washed out feeling did diminish a bit when I cut back, but it didn't go completely until the MJ left my system about two weeks after I went cold turkey.

@Histoscientist I agree, that’s what they should be doing when they discover someone has prediabetes. There should be lots of monitoring and prevention advice etc. I live in NI so we can’t get our records online unfortunately but I’m definitely requesting a copy to see all the things they didn’t tell me. Before MJ I felt like I was never away from the doctors as I felt rotten and my body just didn’t feel right. Since MJ I’ve felt better than I have in years. It’s terrible we sometimes have to take matters into our own hands and sort ourselves out but the monetary cost has been worth it so far. Hope you’re feeling better soon

BMI is now 23.3, prescriber stops at 23.5, so I am on my own going forward. Been on it for a year and have lost 6stone 9lbs. Keeping my fingers crossed and away from the biscuit tin but feeing a bit apprehensive. I don’t want to lose any more so will be working on finding the right balance.

Wow @BakingNana that is an incredible loss. You must be thrilled. Are you feeling better for it?

How much more have you got left to take? Have you been titrating down or will you just come to an end?

What's your strategy? Do you know what was driving you to eat too many calories in the first place? Was it portion size, too much high calorie food, comfort eating, no exercise? We all have different reasons for ending up being on MJ.

I'm still 1lb up on my goal weight, so more careful intake this week again. Stocked up on protein puddings, as they are a gift from the gods!

How's everyone else doing?

@MargoLivebetterI have had many years of being pretty immobile due to arthritis. Both knees and 1 hip replaced, last op 2 years ago, so I guess that has contributed to being overweight, although I have always been on the heavy side probably due to enjoying cooking and then eating. Early last year I had dropped a bit of weight without trying, I could move more I guess, so wanted to keep going. I am now 2 stone lighter than I was at 17, and it’s gradually gone on since. I am now late 60s so it was now or never. I plan to stick to a low carb high protein diet and stay away from the sweets and desserts. Having bought a whole new wardrobe of size 10s and a few 8s, I can’t afford to slip. 2 more jabs then that will be it.

That is really fantastic @BakingNana . You must feel like a whole new woman! I follow 'Train with Joan' on Instagram. Her website is here: www.trainwithjoanofficial.com/. She is in her 70s and lost weight, got fit and strong. Some of it is a bit American, but I love her approach and that she came to it all later in life. She does some good diet advice too to help with getting enough protein.

Hi everyone. I haven't been on here for 2 or 3 weeks I think, so it's nice to catch up on everyone's progress. My news is a bit dull. I'm still maintaining on 4mg (maintaining since Nov, halved dose very slowly, happy at 4mg for last 6 weeks). Just about staying above bmi20 but still occasionally dropping another lb overall. I try to be careful Monday to Friday, when I might lose a lb or two, then relax and regain a bit at weekends. Still with Oushk who are exactly what I need - reliable, convenient, and responsibly and pragmatically hands-off so no complaints from me.

My only other MJ-related news is that I've done a bit of a Social Media detox (with the exception of this and one other MN WLIs thread, the Feb-April '24 starters one). So Reddit and FB have gone. It struck me a few weeks ago that, after a year, i really need MJ to fade into the background of my life, just like any other long term medication would, if all was going well. It didn't feel healthy mentally, to be constantly thinking and/or talking online about weight, food, side effects, appearance, size, prescribers, etc. and i felt very burnt out by the constant pressure i put on myself to advise, educate, encourage, etc and, more significantly, by the incessent competitive, combative, often angry atmosphere (which I admit, I fell into sometimes too). I felt, at times, like I was delivering an endless, slightly crazy, TED talk.

Deleting a year's worth of posts and comments and leaving groups, felt a bit....final. But am confident it'll be more healthy, for me, to be quieter and calmer, and for MJ not to be the biggest thing in my life! Early days but will look forward to just dropping in here where it's nice and friendly, calm and accepting. Anyone else feel similarly?

@KrankyKumquat no news is often good news - in that it means everything is just ticking along. 👏

Agree that a bit of a mindset change sounds like a good thing. It all has to become "normal" and part of everyday life. I like posting here each week where I am with my weight, I find it keeps me accountable to someone other than just myself - in a weird way, as obviously no one here is judging me or expecting me to be accountable. I've told no one IRL, so this works for me.

However, what I've noticed is that we are all so different with our WLI experience. We start at different stages, we have different reasons for having become overweight (other than the obvious fact that we all overconsumed calories), we react differently to WLI, we need differing doses, amounts of time, have different side effects and then react differently as we reach the end etc etc. There is definitely no one size fits all thing here.

So that's basically me saying, I'm glad you want to pop in on this thread every now and then. 😊

@MargoLivebetter
Absolutely agree that we're all different, thank goodness! My OH is the only person who knows (and he's vaguely supportive but not particularly informed or interested) so yes, the online world can be a very useful source of support and accountability - I'm certain I wouldn't have been so successful without the advice and encouragement of so many here and in other places, especially in the early days of MJs release and a few months later with maintenance, when we were very much pioneers.

Thank you for the update, it made me think about my social media. I don't post on FB but I read and research. Although mainly to get answers I want. e.g. I think mj helps with thyroid symptoms (there definitely does seem to be some correlation but who knows), I continuously search for what the best way to maintain is and I think given the other benefits I have concluded to remain on mj for sometime, perhaps for the foreseeable future. The other questions I have relate to what weight should I be. I'm currently the weight I've always wanted to be and whilst I am much happier when I look in the mirror I still see issues, some that can't be dealt with (without surgery) like saggy skin, and areas that are still fat like thighs and arms (but if I lose more weight they might become more saggy). It has been so straightforward to lose weight it is so tempting to lose more. My BMI is currently 22 and I am thinking I'd like to lose a couple more pounds to the weight I was in my early 20s and then concentrate on building muscle as I know for a fact if I ever come off mj I will not be able to maintain a weight any lower.
I think with a few more months of learning what I need to eat to maintain I will be able to consider lowering my dose.
I am tempted to remove myself from FB pages, I don't want people to think I'm on it because I'm on the groups!!! Only my hubby knows and he joined me on it after I'd been on it a couple of weeks.